Rita Pranawati

Rita Pranawati participated in the Australia Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program in 2010 and was awarded a Master of Arts in Sociology at Monash University in 2013.

Rita Pranawati is an academic and researcher who currently serves as Vice Chair of the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI). She is also a lecturer at HAMKA University in Jakarta and a researcher at the Centre for the Study of Religion and Culture (CSRC) at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.

Ms Pranawati participated in the Australia Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program in 2010 and was awarded a Master of Arts in Sociology at Monash University in 2013.

She said that visiting Australia and living there for a year and a half cemented her view of Australia as a multicultural country that truly respects diversity. 

‘As a Muslim I experienced first-hand Australia’s respect for its citizens, regardless of their faith, ethnicity or skin colour,’ she said. 

‘I share Indonesia’s moderate Islam – women in Indonesia share in the country’s educational opportunities, and often rise to leadership positions in companies or public institutions.’

In her career as a commissioner, academic and social activist, Ms Pranawati says she continues to enjoy close cooperative relationships with Australians in government and civil society, with whom she collaborates on issues of child protection, women's empowerment and religious dialogue. 

‘Extensive person-to-person and group-to-group connections have strengthened the Indonesia-Australia relationship through better mutual understanding,’  she said. 

‘A good neighbourly relationship is an important requirement for both nations to grow and develop.’